As few as 1/5 Labour MPs prepared to back Jeremy Corbyn as he faces humiliating no confidence result

JEREMY Corbyn is facing a humiliating vote of no confidence today with as few as one in five Labour MPs ready to back him.

Labour MPs cast their vote in a secret ballot today after more than 50 frontbenchers resigned from their posts and called on the Labour leader to step aside in a backlash against his "half-hearted" pro-EU campaign.

2

Jeremy Corbyn leaves his home this morning, ready for another bruising day in the CommonsCredit: Getty Images

This morning shadow ministers Andy Slaughter, Barbara Keeley, Andrew Gwynne and Alan Whitehead joined the mass walkout, with more damaging resignations expected after the result of the motion is declared.

From the left of the party, Mr Slaughter joins 19 shadow cabinet members and 25 shadow junior ministers who have also quit the Labour frontbenches.

The result of the vote of no confidence is expected 5pm with as few as 50MPs set to back Mr Corbyn. Labour MPs need only a simple majority for the vote to succeed.

Chief whip Rosie Winterton is expected to resign if Mr Corbyn loses, taking the rest of the party whips with her. Whips are in charge of keeping party discipline.

Jeremy Corbyn has already said he will fight in any leadership contest in the event of a coup, despite MPs begging him last night to stand down.

Moderate Labour MPs will today hold frantic backroom talks to decide on a candidate who can unite the party against Mr Corbyn.

They must have a chance of beating the life-long leftie when the vote is put to the party membership, who overwhelmingly voted him in last year.

Ex shadow business secretary Angela Eagle is considered to be the best place candidate to replace Mr Corbyn repeatedly refused to rule out running in an interview yesterday.

Deputy leader Tom Watson, who so far has refused to resign, is also being encouraged to run.

RELATED STORIES

ROD LIDDLE

In 24 hours, almost the entire Shadow Cabinet have packed their bags - but Corbyn's NOT to blame

jexodus

Floundering Jeremy Corbyn on the ropes after dozens of his own MPs beg him to quit as Labour leader

THE NEW SHADOW CABINET

Corbyn mocked on social media as he announces new top team and nobody knows who they are

HOW LONG CAN HE HANG ON?

Corbyn could be forced out of Labour leader role tomorrow as fight against him intensifies

did corbyn vote leave?

Suspicions raised Corbyn voted FOR Brexit after he refused to say which way he cast his ballot

Time for Jexit

The damage that Jeremy is doing to the Labour Party can’t be allowed to carry on, says Jamie Reed MP

This morning Corbyn ally Diane Abbott, promoted to shadow health secretary yesterday, said a leadership contest was now "inevitable" but warned of a backlash against the rebels from party members.

"The party members are going to look dimly at people who unleashed this kind of mayhem," she said.

"If you are elected leader of the party, the party has a reasonable expectation that MPs will rally behind you. That's what they thought would happen this time. Hopefully if Jeremy wins a second time they will actually do the right thing."

The mass walkout from the Labour frontbenches was triggered in the early hours of Sunday morning when Hilary Benn was sacked as shadow foreign secretary.

He was followed by 11 resignations on Sunday before a wave of frontbenchers quit yesterday.

2

Jeremy Corbyn held a shadow cabinet meeting this afternoon with many positions yet to be filled

Mr Corbyn needs 95 loyal MPs to fill his frontbench posts and will now struggle to do so with as few as 50MPs still loyal to the embattled leader.

He was expected to announce more promotions this afternoon, but he had been unable to fill almost half of the posts before he convened his new shadow cabinet this afternoon.